Beyond the Newborn Stage with Marlee
For many parents, their own little ones are really the first children they’ve spent significant time with since their own childhood. It makes sense to need some support along the way!
Coming from a child development background, I offer compassionate support for the inevitable rough patches on your parenting journey. Whether you’re feeling frustrated, self-conscious, or just plain confused, I’m here to help.
Since I’ve worked with over 300 families, I have excellent insight into many of the challenges new parents face. If you’re having some trouble navigating things in the first few years of parenthood, I’d love to help.
In our time together, we’ll focus on manageable ways to move toward solutions. Talking with a compassionate listener who intricately understands many of the practical challenges parents can face is a beautiful way to get the support you deserve!
I’m not a therapist (if you want to work with one I have some great referrals!), but our time together can feel therapeutic. My consulting work combines the practical knowledge I have as a birth and postpartum professional, the deep listening skills of a doula, and the solution-focused conversation skills I’ve honed over years of working as a mentor for new parents.
My consults are somewhere between troubleshooting, counseling, and a conversation with an understanding friend.
Every parent needs a sounding board.
If you’re looking for compassionate, practical support as your child grows, I’d love to help!
Rates
Growing With You 6-Month Consulting Package: $900
My signature support package for parents of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers includes:
Monthly virtual consultations (1-2 hours each) over 6 months to address current questions and challenges as your little one grows
Option to add 30-minute consults on a pay-as-you-go basis if more support is needed in between our monthly visits ($85 each)
Details:
Sessions are held via Zoom
Appointments available between 10am-5pm Eastern on weekdays
This package is the perfect add-on for clients who’ve worked with me for lactation support, sleep support, or postpartum doula care, and want some extra handholding beyond the newborn phase!
The consistency of working together over a period of 6 months adds some much-needed consistency during periods where parents are often getting wildly different information from many sources.
Topics we can work through together
This is not an exhaustive list by any means!
For parents of infants:
Navigating relationship challenges in early parenthood
How to play with your baby as they grow and change in the first year
Finding ways to return to yourself in the midst of caring for a baby
Dealing with criticism around your choices for birth, feeding, or caring for your infant
Navigating changes as loved ones return to work after parental leave
Deciding how to handle your baby’s transition to solid foods (including exploring baby led weaning)
Information about normal development at your baby’s age and stage
Guidance for helping older siblings adjust to the addition of a new baby in the family
For parents of toddlers:
Coping with tantrums
Dealing with separation anxiety
Information about normal development at your toddler’s age and stage
How to decide when you want to wean
Navigating potty training
Ways to connect with your toddler in meaningful ways
Fostering your toddler’s ability to play independently
Helping your little one learn to enjoy more foods
Supporting your little one in the transition to preschool/daycare
Helping toddlers prepare for a new baby in the family
For parents of older children:
Fostering connection with your child in meaningful ways
Helping older children prepare for a new baby in the family
Supporting children in the transition to school
Helping kids learn to help around the house in developmentally appropriate ways
Balancing your child’s unscheduled time with structured learning and activities (building boredom into your child’s routine)
Information about normal development at your child’s age and stage
General topics:
Incorporating more respectful/positive parenting principles into your family’s life
Talking to your little ones about body literacy and consent at different ages
Balancing co-parenting responsibilities with your partner
Holistic decision-making with the entire family’s well-being in mind
How to handle unwanted or unhelpful advice/input
Support for parenting after you’ve experienced pregnancy loss
Debriefing after a complicated or frustrating medical/pediatrician appointment
Support for parenting through your own mental health challenges
If you’re ready to explore any of these topics (or something else) with a compassionate peer mentor, I’m here for you.
What to expect when you work with me:
Compassion. I approach these sessions with the deepest respect and utmost compassion for the struggles parents are experiencing. I assume positive intentions always — sessions are meant to be validating and encouraging, never chastising or shaming.
Humility. I don’t presume to be the expert on your particular situation — YOU are the expert. I’m here to offer gentle guidance and perspective, acting as a sounding board to help you discover the next steps you want to take.
Education. Sometimes the root of a problem lies in misunderstanding. If there is clarity I can offer around child development, we can talk through the background info a bit so you can re-approach the situation with a deeper appreciation for what might be going on under the surface.
Resources. There may be other services, providers, or sources of information that can benefit a family as they move toward their goals. I’m always happy to offer further suggestions for exploration and support.
Sound like exactly what you’re looking for?
How these consults work:
A note before we start: Parents usually get much more from our time together if their attention isn’t split. If you think this could be a challenge for you, I highly recommend arranging childcare for our appointment time so you can devote your full attention to our conversation.
These sessions are all about YOU. I have no agenda! My only goal is to help you get from where you are to where you want to be, and make a plan for how to get there (or at least how to take the first step or two in that direction).
If having an outline is helpful for you, here is a guide we can use for our conversation:
What are the current issues you want to discuss?
What are your goals?
What are the things you’ve tried to address the issue(s) that are already working?
What do you still need in order to move forward and bridge that gap?
After this exploration, what next steps will you take? How will you know if they are working?
Is there anything else you need as you move forward - skills, information, resources? If so, how will you acquire them?
I will never tell you what to do! I’ll help you slow down so it’s easier to notice patterns or perspectives that may be holding you back from the progress you want to see. Often when I hold space for parents to cultivate deeper self-awareness, they find that the next steps start to reveal themselves.
Follow up as needed. Sometimes a follow-up session can be helpful, especially as the situation evolves. If you don’t want to wait until next month to continue the conversation, schedule a 30-minute call to